Retro Gaming: the future?

So the next generation is very much on the horizon, but with the rumours all suggesting a downloader's/installer's marketplace, and with publishers keen to see the death of second-hand games, does anyone else foresee a burgeoning retro market about to take hold?

Compare how long PS2 games stayed on the shelves compared to PS1 - most places still have a PS2 section. You could make the case that compared to XB1 and the 'cube, the PS2 was the only real winner of its generation, whereas all three consoles have done well this time around and have an established retail presence. Considering this, along with the still-high technical quality of games available, and the sheer volume of good titles, I can see a large number of gamers sticking with their current-gen consoles for the forseeable future. After all, it must be a minority - even on this forum - who've played / owned every major release across all three consoles for the current gen? I can think of scores of 'AAA' titles that I'm yet to play, literally years of gaming.

And if the next gen really does put the squeeze on the second-hand market, surely that only stands to benefit the market for pre-owned games for the current gen?

Well if MS decide to tie games to consoles next-gen then future collectors are strawberry floated.

People will always want the new thing, especially console owners. We are now being force fed all the gooseberry fool from PC gaming with installs and DRM but I don't think people will care, after all PC gamers deep throat Valve over their bloated DRM system and they love it.

I'll continue to buy physical discs whilst they remain the same price(most the time actually cheaper) but if downloads became cheaper then I'd switch over.

If this goes ahead, in 10-20 years time, you won't be able to include the next Xbox into your retro collection, because you won't be able to play or buy games for it.

And that is the real tragedy.

I'm kinda done.

Retro Gaming: the future?

For me maybe, there is a strawberry float tonne of 360 games I'm yet to play, I played most of what I wanted on the Wii and PS3, last gen I was still PC gaming, and had a cube for Ninty games, so there are a tonne of PS2 games, xbox games and Dreamcast games I'm still to play, the gen before that again I started PC gaming, still had a Saturn (just before the swtich to PC) and N64 (again for the Ninty first party games), theres a fair few PS1 games I'd still like to get hold of and play too.

Will probably buy a WiiU sometime this year, but there is so much I still wanna check out, I don't know if I have room let alone time for the new sexbox and PS4, neither have games series I give much of a gooseberry fool about, GT series I'll always get, halo is fun, but I'll not loose sleep not having it.

Not really excited yet by the next gen at all

Sounds like you're in the same boat as me then Boris.

Rik - I'm not sure I agree with you. Retailers are always going to put themselves first and if there's a market for it, and people are still willing to trade in their old stuff and make a loss (and make the retailer a profit) then I don't see this gen going away - rather, I can see the second-hand market growing and the 'next-gen' being slow on the uptake. Look at the way companies like CEX have been thriving, and how little shelf space the Wii U is taking up in stores.

Dan. wrote:So the next generation is very much on the horizon, but with the rumours all suggesting a downloader's/installer's marketplace, and with publishers keen to see the death of second-hand games, does anyone else foresee a burgeoning retro market about to take hold?

Compare how long PS2 games stayed on the shelves compared to PS1 - most places still have a PS2 section. You could make the case that compared to XB1 and the 'cube, the PS2 was the only real winner of its generation, whereas all three consoles have done well this time around and have an established retail presence. Considering this, along with the still-high technical quality of games available, and the sheer volume of good titles, I can see a large number of gamers sticking with their current-gen consoles for the forseeable future.

Can't see it. Reason being, as you said, the publishers are keen to see the shift, and I think most consumers will move with the latest installment of their beloved franchises.

Publishers have done their dark task well this gen - there are few, if any games with long term playability (can you imagine anyone continuing to play the console versions of Assassins Creed or Skyrim for the next five years) and of the few which do, most are tied to publisher owned servers for which support can be quietly faded out.

Games sell consoles. For all the changes this industry has been through, it is the seeimgly immutable Law One.

Rik wrote:People will always want the new thing, especially console owners. We are now being force fed all the gooseberry fool from PC gaming with installs and DRM but I don't think people will care, after all PC gamers deep throat Valve over their bloated DRM system and they love it.

I'll continue to buy physical discs whilst they remain the same price(most the time actually cheaper) but if downloads became cheaper then I'd switch over.

I'll bite.

The reason people love Valve is that while they are a company out to make money, they do so by fostering loyalty and goodwill amongst their customers with high quality products, a store that offers phenomenal value (The sales are a thing of beauty) and a DRM system that is pretty much non-invasive. A rather bizarre strategy these days I know but it works. Steam may have its detractors but it's the number one portal for PC games for a reason.

Games aren't really what I class as games anymore.

Travelling down a corridor and pressing buttons during set pieces are closer to watching a film.

BID0 wrote:Games aren't really what I class as games anymore.

Travelling down a corridor and pressing buttons during set pieces are closer to watching a film.

Terrible films.

Before this gen I could count on one hand every single game I had ever finished.

I am struggling to think of a single game from this generation that I've not seen the end of

One downside to retro gaming is that everything looks absolute toss on a HDTV, which is where the PS3 - particularly the 60GB version - comes into its own as it produces an image you'd never get by plugging in old hardware.

I know there's digital, which on Vita rejuvenates PSone games like you wouldn't believe, but part of the appeal with retro is also the box & packaging.

BID0 wrote:Before this gen I could count on one hand every single game I had ever finished.

I am struggling to think of a single game from this generation that I've not seen the end of

strawberry floatin A.

I've got games 23 years later I still can't beat

I dunno if thats a good thing or not though

KKLEIN wrote:One downside to retro gaming is that everything looks absolute toss on a HDTV, which is where the PS3 - particularly the 60GB version - comes into its own as it produces an image you'd never get by plugging in old hardware.

I know there's digital, which on Vita rejuvenates PSone games like you wouldn't believe, but part of the appeal with retro is also the box & packaging.

That's why I keep a massive SD CRT TV in my bedroom.

Somebody Else's Problem wrote:

KKLEIN wrote:One downside to retro gaming is that everything looks absolute toss on a HDTV, which is where the PS3 - particularly the 60GB version - comes into its own as it produces an image you'd never get by plugging in old hardware.

I know there's digital, which on Vita rejuvenates PSone games like you wouldn't believe, but part of the appeal with retro is also the box & packaging.

That's why I keep a massive SD CRT TV in my bedroom.

StayDead defence.

KKLEIN wrote:One downside to retro gaming is that everything looks absolute toss on a HDTV, which is where the PS3 - particularly the 60GB version - comes into its own as it produces an image you'd never get by plugging in old hardware.

I know there's digital, which on Vita rejuvenates PSone games like you wouldn't believe, but part of the appeal with retro is also the box & packaging.

PS1 games look great through HDMI on PS3 providing you turn off smoothing and full-screen.

I think I have enough games to keep me going for another two years, and I don't even have a PS3. I have a fairly big 360 backlog, but in the last six months I've finally got into playing the Wii (bought it at launch). Not only am I working through all the big games for that console, but I'm going through the past classics on the Virtual Console and the Gamecube too (never owned a Nintendo console before the Wii).

I'd still like to get a PS3, but I can probably hold out til after the PS4 launches and it will drop a bit lower in price. There's a lot of PS1 stuff I'd like to pick up too, but I'm not sure the best way to go about it. In theory, having everything digital sounds great, but I'm worried about being cut off from it all in the future.

I will go next gen eventually, but there's so much stuff I've missed out on, as I'd only ever had one console per generation before this one. When I do pick up one of those consoles, I'd like to be in the position where I can just be picking up true AAA titles instead of buying games for the sake of having something to play.

GrinWithoutaKat wrote:I think I have enough games to keep me going for another two years, and I don't even have a PS3. I have a fairly big 360 backlog, but in the last six months I've finally got into playing the Wii (bought it at launch). Not only am I working through all the big games for that console, but I'm going through the past classics on the Virtual Console and the Gamecube too (never owned a Nintendo console before the Wii).

Reason why the wii has been the console of this gen for me.

If I had to chose, its the wii everytime, its got a great catalogue of its own, the virtual console side and the gamecube side.

I mean, I have megaman 2 through 5 still to finish, DK3 to finish, castlevania 2 and 3 still to finish off the top of my head from the virtual console alone.

Still ain't finished the last story, little kings story, Pandora's tower, xeno blade, mario galaxy 2, skyward sword but to name a few from its own lot.

And then the gamecube I have a fair few still to finish.

And there are still VC, wii and GC games I want to buy and play and finish

Its a reason why I didn't invest in a wiiu straight away, there are just too many other strawberry floating games to finish on the wii.

I should really stop playing Metroid, old resi games and Smash brawl and get a move on finishing the back log

Talking of retro, I have found my Resident Evil 4 Gamecube box. I didn't check if it was still in there but if it was.....worth a bit?

TigaSefi wrote:Talking of retro, I have found my Resident Evil 4 Gamecube box. I didn't check if it was still in there but if it was.....worth a bit?

At the moment I'd say you stand to make back what you paid for it with a bit of luck, there's too many on eBay to make it a genuine collector's item.

Boris - it's people like you that I can envisage becoming more and more prevalent, especially among the supposed 'casual' market.